A young boy sat on the front steps waiting for his father to come home. He had his report card in hand, waiting with pride in his eyes and s smile on his lips. He wanted the approval of the only person whose opinion really mattered to him at his age, his dad. Knowing better then to speak when spoken to, he couldn’t contain his excitement when his father arrived home. As he exited the car, the young boy ran to him, clumsily crashing into with his report card held high. “You clumsy idiot, get the hell away from me,” was the reception that he received from his dad. He tried his hardest to be the perfect son and to make his father proud and in his hand was the evidence of his efforts.

It was after dinner when he tried again. Taking his dad a piece of cake and his report card, he made his way to the family room. Standing in front of his dad, he cleared his throat and spoke up, “dad, I brought you a piece of cake and my report card.” As his drunken father reached for the cake, he knocked out of his sons hand. Flying into a fit of rage, he grabbed the boy by the arm and yanked him down the hallway to where he’d be unjustly punished.

**********

Gibbs tossed and turned in his sleep. He was covered in sweat and was beginning to moan and cry. He threw his head to one side and muttered, “I’m so sorry. Please, no it was an accident.” His eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. He threw the blanket off turning to sit at the side of his bed. The pain in his arm was excruciating, he cradled it protectively to his stomach.

The noise woke Tony, who was sleeping next to him. When he opened his eyes and noticed Gibbs sitting at the side of the bed. “Jethro?” he questioned quietly as to not startle his lover. Getting no response, he reached out and placed his hand gently on Gibb’s shoulder. The contact caused him to flinch, it was then that Tony realized that Jethro had suffered a nightmare.

It was all because of the case they had just wrapped up. They had had to arrest an eleven year old boy for shooting his abusive father. The boy had stayed home from school sick, unbeknownst to his father; he woke from a nap to the sound of his father beating his four year old brother. Eventually, the charges were dropped but not before it opened up some deep wounds

The case had hit a little too close to home for Gibbs and he had started having nightmares soon after he had arrested the boy. The pattern was always the same. He would wake up in a cold sweat, quietly get up and go work on his boat until it was time to get ready for work. He would then wake up Tony as if nothing had happened and they would set about their normal routine.

This was the third one in as many nights but tonight he didn’t get up and work on his boat. Tonight, he couldn’t pull himself out of the nightmare. Tony got up and walked around to the other side of the bed. Maybe Gibbs would accept his help. He sat down next to him, careful not to get too close.

Gibbs sat very still. Tony noticed that his eyes looked haunted and he was cradling his left arm in his lap. “Jethro,” he said softly. “What happened to your arm?”

At first he didn’t answer, he just stared at nothing. Then, his voice almost a whisper, Tony wasn’t sure he actually heard it, he said, “It hurts.”

Looking at Gibb’s arm, it looked fine not even a scratch visible on it. “Can I see it?” Tony asked cautiously reaching towards Jethro. Gibbs wincing in pain pulled his arm closer to his stomach. Tony looked at him for a moment before he asked, “What happened to your arm? How did you hurt it?”

Gibbs turned his head slowly. “He broke it. I took him a piece of cake, he dropped it, and got really mad at me.” Jethro’s voice reminded Tony of a terrified child.

Tony closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to calm down. He got up, knelt down in front of Gibbs. As he reached for him, Jethro tried to pull away but Tony wouldn’t let him go anywhere.

“Jethro, listen to me. I’m not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you,” he said tenderly. Gibbs calmed Tony let out a breath. “Good,” he said. “Now listen to me. You’re okay and you’re safe. You are fine, your arm is fine. You were just remembering that’s all. Look at your arm Jethro.”

Gibbs looked down at his arm and wrinkled his brow. Looking up at Tony then looking back at his arm. He flexed the elbow and the hand, sighing with relief that he was fine “Sorry,” he mumbled. His voice sounding like the Gibbs Tony knew and loved.

Tony smiled gently. “Nothing to be sorry for,” he said. He sat back up on the bed and pulled Gibbs into a hug. He tensed slightly but didn’t resist. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” Tony whispered to him.

Gibbs relaxed into Tony’s embrace. “I know. I can’t get him out of my head. That case, it really well it brought back bad memories,” he tried to explain.

“I know. And I’m sorry this happened to you,” Tony said as he stoked Gibb’s hair. Gibbs sighed. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one who’s messed up in the head.”

At that moment Tony wished that he could confront Gibb’s father for what he had done. He kissed Jethro’s temple. “You’re not messed up,” he said. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.” Gibbs resisted. “I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

“I know, but you need to. Love, you are exhausted.” He put his arms around Gibbs and guided him down onto the bed. “I have an idea.” Tony climbed in the bed beside him, pulling the blankets back over them. Gibbs curled into the safety of Tony’s arms. Tony began stroking Jethro’s back. “You remember that movie we watched a couple of weeks ago?” Gibbs nodded. “That James Bond was played by Sean Connery. In later movies James Bond is played by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and George Lazenby now Sean Connery was in Dr. No, From Russia with love and my favorite…” He continued his story in a soft, soothing voice, until he heard Gibb’s breathing even out and he realized he was asleep.

Tony closed his eyes and tightened his hold on Jethro. He prayed silently that if they could just get through tonight, that maybe things would be better tomorrow they could talk it through. Tony would help Jethro face the ghosts of his past and heal for he was his future.